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Whether you’re a newly qualified therapist or an experienced professional looking to refine your practice, learning different techniques is key to ensuring your sessions are effective, comfortable, and beneficial for your clients.
One essential skill that plays a significant role in achieving this is pacing. You may already be familiar with the concept, but understanding how to use pacing effectively can greatly enhance your therapeutic relationships, foster trust, and promote deeper healing. So, what exactly is pacing, and why is it such an important part of therapy?
In this blog, we’ll discuss the concept of pacing, explore why it’s necessary in therapy, and discover practical ways to incorporate it into your sessions to better support your clients.
What is pacing in therapy?
Pacing in therapy refers to the process of adjusting the speed, emotional tone, and intensity of a session to match the client’s needs at any given moment. Think of it as keeping in step with your client—walking beside them rather than pulling them forward or holding them back. This technique allows you to guide the session in a way that feels manageable for the client, particularly when tackling challenging or emotionally charged topics.
Rather than pushing for quick progress, pacing is about reading your client’s cues and responding in a way that aligns with where they are emotionally and psychologically. It helps to build rapport, trust, and ultimately, a stronger therapeutic alliance.
What is pace therapy?
Pace therapy takes this concept one step further. It’s a therapeutic approach that focuses on maintaining a rhythm that’s neither too fast nor too slow for the client. While many therapeutic approaches incorporate elements of pacing, it’s especially relevant in trauma-informed therapy, where the risk of re-traumatisation is high if a client is pushed too quickly.
In pace therapy, the therapist actively monitors the client’s emotional state and adjusts their approach in real-time, ensuring the client is not overwhelmed by the therapeutic process. It’s about respecting the client’s capacity to handle the content of the session and empowering them to take ownership of their healing.
How to do pacing in therapy
So, how can you effectively pace a therapy session? Here are some practical steps:
Active Listening
This is fundamental. It’s about more than hearing the words your client is saying—it’s about noticing how they say them, their body language, and their emotional responses. Active listening helps you tune into the client’s current state, which is crucial for setting the right pace.
Mirroring
When you mirror a client’s tone, speech pattern, and energy level, you create a sense of safety. For instance, if a client is speaking softly and slowly, adopting a similar tone shows empathy and can make them feel understood.
Controlled Progress
Gradually introducing difficult topics or intense emotions rather than diving in all at once helps prevent the client from feeling overwhelmed. It’s important to allow them to take small steps towards more challenging areas of their experience.
Mindfulness
As a therapist, you should be mindful of the client’s reactions throughout the session. Be alert to signs that they may need more time to process thoughts and emotions and adjust the pace accordingly.
Adaptability
While it’s great to have a plan for your session, always be ready to shift gears if the client’s emotional state changes. If a client becomes tearful or anxious, for example, it might be time to slow down and explore what’s happening for them in that moment.
Why is pacing important in counselling?
Pacing is more than just a tool to keep sessions running smoothly—it’s a fundamental part of good therapy. Here’s why it’s so crucial:
Building a Therapeutic Alliance
Pacing helps create a space where clients feel safe and understood. When you match their emotional and conversational rhythm, they’re more likely to trust you, which is the cornerstone of effective therapy.
Avoid Overwhelming
For clients dealing with trauma, anxiety, or other intense emotional experiences, jumping into deep topics too quickly can feel overwhelming. Pacing allows for a gradual exploration of difficult emotions, helping the client to stay present without becoming distressed.
Enhancing Therapeutic Effectiveness
Therapy is most effective when clients have the time and space to reflect and integrate what’s being discussed. Pacing helps ensure that clients aren’t rushed into insights they’re not ready for, which can make the process more impactful in the long run.
Empowering the Client
Pacing empowers clients to engage with the process at their own speed. When they feel that therapy is moving at a manageable pace, they’re more likely to take ownership of their healing journey.
How to pace a therapy session
Pacing is a dynamic process. Here are some key tips on how to pace a session effectively:
Set Expectations Early
At the start of the session, gauge where your client is mentally and emotionally. Are they feeling calm, anxious, or distracted? This helps you determine the right starting pace for the conversation.
Monitor and Adjust
Throughout the session, continuously check in with how your client is reacting. Are they engaged, or are they withdrawing? If they seem disengaged or overwhelmed, it might be time to slow down.
Use silence wisely, many therapists, particularly those new to the field, feel uncomfortable with silence. However, moments of silence can be incredibly valuable, giving clients space to process what’s being discussed.
Check-in with the Client
Every now and then, ask the client if the pace of the session feels right for them. This encourages open communication and ensures you’re not pushing too hard or holding back too much.
Why is it important to pace your client?
Pacing isn’t just beneficial for the flow of the session—it’s important for the client’s emotional wellbeing. Here’s why it’s so important to pace your client:
Emotional Regulation
Clients often come into therapy feeling emotionally dysregulated. By pacing the session thoughtfully, you help them stay calm and composed, which is especially important when dealing with trauma or intense emotions.
Maintaining Engagement
A session that moves too fast can feel overwhelming, while one that moves too slowly may cause the client to disengage. Proper pacing keeps clients engaged and invested in their own therapeutic journey.
Preventing Therapist Burnout
Pacing doesn’t just benefit the client—it’s also important for you as the therapist. By maintaining a steady pace, you avoid rushing through sessions or feeling the pressure to “fix” things quickly, which can contribute to burnout.
What is pacing in psychology?
In a broader psychological context, pacing is not limited to therapy. It’s a concept used in various forms of psychological treatment, particularly when working with trauma, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Pacing helps regulate the body’s physiological response to stress by ensuring that clients don’t become overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions.
This is especially relevant in trauma work, where the nervous system may be on high alert. By pacing the session, you help the client’s body and mind process traumatic memories or emotions in small, manageable doses, preventing re-traumatisation.
Common challenges with pacing in therapy
Like any therapeutic technique, pacing comes with its challenges:
Rushing the Process
New therapists often feel pressure to make quick progress, but it’s important to remember that healing takes time. Avoid the temptation to rush through sessions.
Over-Pacing
On the flip side, going too slow can cause frustration or disengagement from the client. Striking the right balance is key.
Recognising Client Readiness
It can be difficult to determine when a client is ready to move at a quicker pace. This is where your active listening and observational skills come in.
Therapist Anxiety
Sometimes, your own anxieties or concerns can affect the pace. Be aware of your own emotional state and how it might influence the session.
Tips for therapists new to pacing
Self-Reflection: After each session, reflect on how you paced the conversation. Did it feel right for both you and the client? Over time, you’ll become more attuned to finding the right rhythm.
Supervision: Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from supervisors or experienced colleagues on how you’re managing pacing in your sessions.
Patience: Remember that pacing takes practice. Be patient with yourself as you develop this skill.
Mindful Transitions: Pay attention to how you transition between topics or therapeutic interventions. Smooth, well-paced transitions can make a huge difference in how the session flows.
Pacing is a significant element of therapy that can help you build trust, keep clients engaged, and support their emotional wellbeing. As a newly qualified therapist, learning to pace your sessions effectively will not only enhance your practice but also help your clients feel empowered in their journey towards healing.
Take your time to develop this skill and remember—therapy isn’t a race. It’s about walking alongside your clients, at a pace that’s comfortable for them.
Get Therapist Insurance from Protectivity
As additional support, it’s important that you have an appropriate counselling insurance policy in place, suitable for qualified therapists. This not only safeguards you from potential costly claims but also provides your clients with reassurance that you are operating a credible service.
At Protectivity our Therapist Insurance policy will provide you with Public Liability cover in the event of a client getting injured or their property damaged. As a therapist you may also need professional indemnity cover if a client pursues legal charges against you for providing negligent advice. Additionally, if you own business equipment, you can cover it against damage, loss or theft.
Our insurance for therapists starts from £3.14 a month. Find out more and request a quote online.
Get Therapist Insurance from Protectivity
*Disclaimer – This blog has been created as general information and should not be taken as advice. Make sure you have the correct level of insurance for your requirements and always review policy documentation. Information is factually accurate at the time of publishing but may have become out of date.
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